Tied
by Freeandbored
Summary: Is it possible to fake love and be happy?
1. First Impression

First Impression

Some years passed before Cheng Wang and Guillaume Janssen met again. Being two persons with money and influence, they found the perfect occasion to organize a beneficial engagement between some of their heirs. When Mr. Janssen told his children about his intentions, Lars, his eldest son, offered to be responsible, so, Mr. Wang gave him his consent to marry his only daughter.

When Mei knew it, her first reaction was panic, but then she thought about her family and what implied to accept the engagement. Her parents convinced her that there wasn't better catch than Lars Janssen, making her see the big prestige his family had. Then, she accepted.

The first time they were going to meet, Mei was overthinking, more than nervous, she was afraid. She wondered what kind of man was that Lars Janssen, if he was such a good guy as everyone said and if they could get along well. She couldn't believe that their lives would join together so suddenly.

"Mei, he is here" Yao told her.

Lars and his family were there. Although he didn't like the whole idea of the engagement, he saw it like an advantage because the truth was that he didn't believe in romance and love, so he was ready to follow the plan. Besides, he thought it was the perfect moment to settle down.

Mei saw him. _"That's him"_ she thought, _"he seems nice"_ and she went to talk with a blond young man whose hair covered an eye. He smiled politely.

"Hi, I am Mei. You must be Lars, nice to meet you"

"Hi, nice to meet you too, but no, in fact I'm Henri, my brother is there" he said.

Mei saw where Henri pointed at, the man was there: serious, quiet, intimidating, handsome, tall and with an arrogant attitude as if he was the king of the universe. _"They want me to marry him?"_ she thought when he approached. He introduced himself politely but looking down at her. He has a very deep voice that made her feel so small. She sighed and sat down next to him.

Their parents talked about the engagement as if it was the most exciting in the world. She looked at him discreetly; she couldn't find any emotion in his face. His siblings were nice and attractive. She would have preferred Henri.

After dinner, both families left them alone so they could bring-up-to-date. Lars thought that she looked very young, even if he knew she was a few years younger than him, he didn't imagine that she still kept some childlike features. He had to admit that she was pretty and delicate, and she was way shorter than him, which made her look tender, but she had a melancholic expression. He hoped that at least, they could have a stable relationship.

They talked about no relevant topics, their jobs and life in general. Lars talked coldly about the engagement, as if it was anything, a distant event, a simple walk in the park. How was it possible to him talking about getting married without love? And then she started crying. He was quiet looking at her, and he gave her a handkerchief. He smoked while she cried.

"Be strong, we _have_ to do this" he said.

Mei couldn't sleep that night. She wondered if she could be capable of taking it seriously. She felt tied to a man who didn't love her, a distant man who didn't care about anything. She would never be happy with a man like him. But everything was ready, and she couldn't reject him and ruin everybody's plans.

Days later, Lars visited her. They were in the living room, talking about anything while Yao was watching them. Lars didn't mind his presence, he knew that Yao was just keeping an eye on his sister, but Mei felt uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry"

"Why?"

"Because he is watching us" she said quietly.

"It's fine, anyways, I'm almost a stranger"

She observed him attentively. Yes, he was very tall, and she had to admit that he was handsome too; he was quite built, she thought that maybe he played some sport. She noticed that he has a scar in the forehead just above the right eyebrow, and his green eyes were looking at her coldly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing" she said looking away.

Lars was observing her too. He thought that she couldn't be really mature but neither childish. She was very expressive; she moved her delicate hands gracefully when she spoke. She looked so sweet, but the sadness in her eyes didn't match.

He felt guilty, he knew he wasn't his entire fault but he was part of what it must cause her pain. He wasn't good to talk about feelings, so he ignored the situation. Maybe this would end when they spent more time together.

He never had that kind of problem, so he tried to be patient and not put her under pressure; he thought it could be a good idea to give her presents… anyways it wasn't as if he had to court her. Then he realized he was overthinking for a girl he just met.

"Lars? Hey, are you alright?"

"What? Sorry, I was thinking about work. What were you saying?"

"Nothing important, it's just that you seemed worried. Do you have problems with your job?"

"No, I was just remembering something"

"Ok, if you say so" she said indifferent.

Since then, Lars visited her every day. They had tea and talked about their day, but without details. Also, he gave her so many expensive presents. Mei was flattered even though she knew those presents were without love.

One day, as usual, she felt that her brothers were watching them, this time, she lost patience and she told them something he couldn't understand because she was speaking Mandarin. When they left, she told him:

"I'm sorry"

"It's fine. I didn't understand what you said, anyways"

"It was about you. Nothing bad, it's just that it's ironic that they watch us all the time, when they perfectly know that we are going to get married, don't you think?" she said annoyed. "Would you like to go out with me as if we were really dating?"

"Yes, why not"

They thought that it was better to go out than stay at home, although, they had to act like a real couple, at least to everyone believed they were in love and no one suspected they were just faking. But it was difficult and awkward. He put his arm around her shoulders or took her hand, but they felt as if they were far away from each other, they thought that no one would believe they were in love.

She tried to get to know him better but he was very secretive, and she ended up for feeling ignored and bored. She complained in Mandarin so he couldn't understand. Lars just looked at her patiently. When she finished saying that it would be funnier to go out with a rock than him, he took a breath and answered in Dutch that he was sorry for not being a good company. He said it guessing that was her problem.

They remained quiet. She was surprised that he had acting in the same way, but she didn't want to ask him what he just said.

"Other thing, don't smoke in my presence. And I want to go home" she said.

He kept his cigarette. He didn't speak. To be honest, she intimidated him, she was so straightforward, and she looked at him angrily. So, he took her home. She said goodbye grudgingly.

They started thinking what they will do to make of their fake relationship something more credible. Will everyone believe they were in love? Will they be capable of living together as husband and wife? Will they be happy someday? They thought about it all night.

* * *

 **Note:** _I'm taking a risk with this one because it's my first long fic and it's about a very unpopular ship, but here it is. I'm sorry about the languages part, I love languages so I couldn't help myself._


	2. Mine and yours

**Note:** _Before someone wants to send me arena, keep in mind that English isn't my first language, and I could make mistakes or use wrong terms/expressions, but I don't do it on purpose, so if you see a mistake, please, be kind and let me know it, and I'll gladly correct it_ :D

Mine and yours

Some weeks had happened since they were "dating". And they started to get used to the idea of spend time together, but nothing really changed. For her, it was really disappointing that he wasn't talkative, and it exasperated her because she thought that he probably considered her a dumb girl.

What she didn't know was that he had to repress the laugh when she said something funny, not because he didn't want to do it, but because she probably thought he was making fun of her. He realized that being with her wasn't really bad, but apparently, she didn't think the same.

Almost every day, he sent her a present, sometimes flowers, sweets, or very expensive jewelry. Some of them arrived to her work, and her colleagues said she was "lucky" for having such a "romantic" boyfriend. She wanted him to stop; maybe he could think that she was that kind of girl, and she didn't feel fine with it.

"It's ok if you don't give me presents, especially jewelry. You don't have to spend so much money on me"

"I thought you liked them"

"I'm not being ungrateful. It's just that maybe you need things for you…"

"I don't need anything. If I give you that it's because I want you to use them. I don't care how much I spend, it's my money after all" he said angrily.

She got mad, he was so arrogant.

"You are so stubborn! It's not as if you had to court me, you know I'll marry you anyways!"

Then she got out of the room. He followed her.

"I'm sorry; I didn't want to say it that way"

"It's fine, just don't do it anymore" she said rejecting his hand.

* * *

With their families, the situation was another story. Their parents lived in other times in which a marriage of convenience was a very lovely idea. It was impossible to talk with them about other matters.

But Lars siblings were nice people. Emma was two years older than her, and Henri was her age. It didn't take them so much time to become friends. She couldn't believe Lars was their brother and that they admired him so much.

Lars couldn't say the same about Mei's brothers and that noisy cousin: Leon, the youngest, was always focused on his phone and wearing headphones, always together with Yong Soo who made lots of questions. Jiang was nice, but his treat was very formal and distant. And finally Yao, Lars had to admit that he intimidated him, and inspired him respect. He was sure they didn't agree with the idea of their sister being married just for money. And he understood why they always watched him.

* * *

As soon as her friends knew she was dating someone, they wondered when they'll meet him. Lars and Mei talked about it; it had to be before they'll get engaged, to not be so suspicious. It must be a secret that they were together just because of their family's interests, even if they had to lie to their best friends.

That weekend, she organized a party, so he could meet her friends. She didn't know what to expect, which opinion they'll have about Lars. She was nervous.

"Ok, they are there. Try to smile, and please, don't be so yourself" she told him.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. He got it, she disliked him, but she didn't have to be so blunt. Mei introduced him to her friends.

"This is Lars, _my boyfriend_ ". It felt awkward to say and hear those last two words.

"We haven't heard so much about you, I hope you are treating her well" Monique said.

"It's true, our Mei is a princess, but you have to treat her like a queen" Feliks joked.

"Yes, I do it. It's just that I asked her to be discreet" Lars said expressionless.

"Sometimes it's better taking your time" Lien commented.

"Yes, it is. We needed time to get to know each other better"

"And how did you two meet? Mei didn't tell us" Feliks asked.

Mei and Lars looked at each other, they didn't think about it. But then, he just said that they met because his father and hers are friends. Then, he talked with her and they liked each other. Simply like that. And he wasn't lying, except for the part about liking each other, of course.

"So, it was love at first sight?" Monique asked.

"Yes... maybe" then his phone rang. "Well, nice to meet you all, I need to answer. Enjoy the party. I'll be back in a minute" Lars said and left.

Mei looked at him, why he was so unfriendly? And not only he was arrogant and boring, he was such a workaholic too. Her friends probably hated him now, and that lame story, no one would believe that.

"Mei, you have such a good taste" Feliks winked.

"What?"

"Feliks is right. He looks pretty decent and very mature" Monique said.

"Really? Don't you think he is too serious?"

"It's the first time we meet him" Lien added.

"Besides, why we would dislike a friend's boyfriend? What matters is that you love him and he loves you. But seriously, was that way you fell in love?" Monique asked.

"Yes, it's just that he is so _romantic_ and a total _gentleman_ " she said sarcastically.

"Aww how lovely!"

"Now tell us more about him, is he a good kisser?" Feliks asked really curious.

Mei blushed, while the others were waiting for an answer.

"That's kind of private" she said. Her friends laughed and she changed the matter.

Was he a good kisser? Well, they had never tried it, and she was relieved to not have to do it, but they had to someday because it supposes they were in love. Lars approached and she blushed again.

The truth was that Lars felt uncomfortable when he met new people. He wasn't a very social person.

Next week, she had to go with him to a social event. She didn't meet anyone, but she had to be there as the perfect girlfriend. For that occasion, he sent her a dress, she amazed because it was beautiful and expensive.

When they arrived, she noticed that some women looked her up and down, but she tried to ignore them. He asked her to wait for him while he looked for his friends. Then she heard a conversation:

" _Could you believe that's his girlfriend?", "I know, but I heard she is a writer for a fashion magazine. Her father and his have been friends for years, since both are important lawyers", "So, that'd be a very profitable marriage, if you know what I mean", "Do you think they are faking?", "I don't know… I was just saying"_

Mei was upset, how they dared to talk about her in that way? It was none of their business. Even worst, they disliked her just because of him. Guess what? He was not the only man in the world. But at the same time, they probably were just interested on his money and his family's reputation.

Then three men and a woman approached. A man with glasses said:

"Hi, we finally meet you. I'm Matthew; this is my girlfriend Katya…"

"And I'm Mathias, just a coincidence our names are similar. And this is my boyfriend Lukas", he interrupted him.

"Hi, nice to meet you"

"You are as pretty as he said. We are really happy for him. I thought that he would be a bachelor for life" Mathias said laughing.

The other man just smiled, he probably thought the same, but he didn't say it. Mei was surprised with the comment; did he really tell them she was pretty? And even more curious, his friends seemed really nice.

"He told us you two have been dating for a couple of months, but we didn't know it. And it supposes we are best friends, since elementary school, by the way. Aren't we, Matt?"

"Yes, but we are not surprised, he tends to be really secretive" Matthew said.

Mathias nodded and both started remembering all those times he did the same. She imagined that their friends would be boring like him, or that maybe he didn't have friends, but both men were friendly.

"They are really happy for him" Katya told her and Lukas agreed.

Mei smiled. Lars was watching them at the distance; at least they were getting along well. He wondered what his friends thought about her. Also, he hoped they didn't say something embarrassing.

Moments later, she went out to get some fresh air. Then, she gave a jump when she realized he was there too, he was smoking.

"I didn't see you. You scared me!"

"I'm sorry"

"It's fine… thank you for the dress" she said.

"You're welcome. My sister chose it. Tell me when you want to go home"

"Sure"

"Guys, I was looking for you, but I see you need a moment" Mathias said laughing.

She was glad that it was a little dark, so he couldn't see she blushed. Lars didn't say anything, and both came back to the party. Emma was there too, she took Mei by the arm and they talk for a while. She wondered how a joyful girl like Emma was sister of a cold guy like Lars.

"Excuse my brother, he is very quiet, but I'm sure you'll see how kind he is"

Mei didn't want to believe it. Because if she had to answer with the truth, she'd say that being tied to an iceberg wasn't funny at all.

"And if you have heard dumb rumors from some of these girls, just ignore them. Besides, some of them have to be really disappointed because he isn't single anymore" Emma said serious.

Later, Emma's boyfriend, Antonio, joined to the conversation. Mei felt a little bit jealous, they looked genuinely happy, but she was glad, Emma was a nice person so she deserved to be loved.

Mei looked at Lars, at the other side of the room, he seemed so confident, talking with the other men. She thought that maybe, women were attracted to him because, besides being handsome (and rich), he had a mysterious aura, but in her opinion, he needed to smile more often. Then, she remembered Feliks' question: is he a good kisser? She couldn't imagine herself kissing him, that'd be horrible, but he was her _boyfriend_ now.

Two days later, they had lunch together. She tried to forget the idea of kissing him. She thought it was ridiculous; it didn't have to be such a big deal. It was just a stupid kiss.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yes, I am" she said annoyed because she knew she blushed.

"Your face is red, are you feeling well? Do you want to go home?"

"No, I am fine, really. It's just that… no forget it. It's stupid"

"What? Tell me. Is there something wrong?"

"No, ok, listen. We are a _couple_ now. Have you thought that someday we have to… you know… kiss… in front of everyone… because it supposes that we are in love and stuff" she said and rolled her eyes.

He blushed and looked away. To be honest, he never thought that she'd talk about it. Yes, they were a couple, but not really. Anyways, he thought that maybe it could be easy, since they didn't like each other in that way.

"And what will we do?" he asked her.

"Well, what if we practice, but just once"

"Sure. We could go to my apartment. No one would _watch_ us there…"

Mei admired his apartment. It was really big considering he was living alone. Even bigger than the one where she lived before the piping ruined it. Then she saw a picture of him with his friends.

"Matthew and Mathias lived here when they were single. I didn't look for a roommate, I like silence" he said.

"It's hard to find one like this. I lost mine because of the piping. That's why I live with my brothers. I like silence too, but with them it's difficult"

They sat in the couch in an awkward silence. They thought they were acting like teenagers. It was embarrassing and ridiculous, it was just a kiss, they'll do it at the wedding, and they hoped never doing it again.

"So…" he said.

"Ah right. Let's do this"

Mei looked away, took a breath and closed her eyes. Lars put his hands on her shoulders. He noticed she was trembling, and when their lips made contact, he moved away.

"You are very tense. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Shut up, and let's do it again" she said annoyed.

He sighed and put his hands on her shoulders again. This time the kiss wasn't forced. She perceived that he was kissing her gently, and even though he smoked, she hardly could notice it. He closed his eyes, while he felt the sweet touch of her lips against his and unintentionally, he moved his hand from her shoulder to her cheek. Then they separated slowly. They looked at each other in the eyes for a second.

"Well, it's done. Do you want to drink something? " He asked and went to the kitchen.

"Yes, please" she said as if she was waking up.

They tried to not make of this a big deal. He told her that his sister invited them to have breakfast together next Sunday. She was happy to see her again. When they were about to leave, he asked her:

"If you want, we could live here after, you know, we got married, of course" he said looking at his shoes.

"Ok, it's a nice place, anyways, we have to live together" she answered not giving it so much importance.

"Then, you can choose which bedroom you want"

She was surprised. At least, she hadn't had to share a bed with him.

He took her home, and gave her an awkward kiss on the cheek. That night, she couldn't sleep again, she just thought about that kiss, his warm hand on her cheek and his perfume mixed with tobacco. She felt so dumb and angry because she just closed her eyes and revived the moment.

He couldn't sleep either. He remembered her, her blushed face, her sweet scent, and above that, her soft lips. He wanted to protect her, and tell her that everything would be fine, he'll be a good husband and she would never have to worry about anything because he would give her the world if she wanted it.

* * *

 **Note #2:** _I've had some personal problems but this fic is like my happy place, so at least, I am writing. I'm sorry if this chapter went so fast, but I needed to put a kiss_ :'v _Please, be kind with me if you comment, because, I love these two so much._


	3. Confusion

**Note:** Remember that English isn't my first language. Mark is an OC.

Confusion

Sunday, they went to Emma and Antonio's house. The place was pretty and it had a little but beautiful garden. Henri was there too. All they spent a nice morning talking cheerfully, well, everybody but Lars, Mei thought that it was typical of him. Also, she could notice that it looked like he disliked Antonio, because he talked to him in a very cutting way. But she didn't say anything; Lars was living the same situation with her brothers. And that felt like another irony of life.

"Would you like to go shopping with me one day?" Emma asked her before they left.

"Sure" Mei said.

Lars was happy that they were good friends, and he wished that Mei was kind with him too.

Since that party, his friends didn't stop talking about her; they thought she was funny and smart, and completely different from his ex-girlfriends. Besides, she was such a talented writer; they started reading every single of her articles. As if he didn't know it. He had already read them. Yes, she was talented, and smart and funny; he knew it. And it was the worst because he wanted to forget that kiss.

Lars had never felt as insecure as he started feeling. He compared himself with the other men he knew. Well, he wasn't funny as Mathias, or kind as Matthew, or charismatic as Henri, or even cheerful as Antonio. He was just a serious bitter man, whose only attractive was his money; he knew some of his ex-girlfriends were interested just on that.

Never in his life had he felt that pathetic. He wasn't good at relationships. He liked his past girlfriends enough to want to see them every day, he gave them presents, they went to expensive places and social events, they talk about… well, not very important matters, and suddenly, everything changed and they broke up, sometimes because they were tired of his aloofness, or because they realized it wasn't love. But what was love in the first place? He didn't believe in that, it seemed a fantasy for teenagers.

Honestly, he felt attracted to those women because they were beautiful and confident; they were the ones who asked him out. And kiss them wasn't bad, but he actually never knew he could feel something like what he felt when he kissed Mei. Lars didn't want to underestimate them, but somehow, he thought Mei was different: she wasn't impressed for what he had, she was honest, too honest in his opinion, and even though her family had money, she had a job.

How to impress a woman like that? His tricks didn't work on her, these were the exactly things Mei refused to accept. He wanted to kiss her again, and hug her, know everything about her, talk about stupid and serious matters and make her laugh. All kind of things he wouldn't do in a normal situation. He observed the ring he had already bought. She would be his wife, but not because she loved him.

"Mr Janssen, Miss Wang is here" his secretary said happily.

"Thank you"

Mei went into his office; it was a very nice surprise for him. But she looked concerned.

"What's wrong?" he asked worried.

"We need to talk… about… hmm… the proposal" she said quietly.

"Right now? Don't you prefer another place? I'll go home in a minute"

"Yes, if you want, I don't care, we just need to talk about this"

She waited for him and then, they went to his apartment, the only safe place they actually had.

"Now, tell me"

"Well, I think you should propose soon and in private. I don't want to do this in public, you know?"

"I have no problem with that. But I haven't bought the ring" he lied. "What if I give it to you tomorrow or it's so soon?"

"No, tomorrow is fine. Thank you"

The next day, they met again. She thought it was a very beautiful ring, he was happy to know it. And they announced their engagement. Their parents were surprised and they were ready to become related. But this time, they couldn't decide the next step. Mei and Lars did it in their own way, avoiding that ridiculous spectacle.

Her friends were excited when she told them the news. Some days before meet him, they didn't stop talking about him, she was tired of hear about that _handsome lawyer who was such a prince_. She wanted to tell them that actually he was more like the dragon in this story. And at the same time, when she was alone, she caressed her lips remembering that kiss.

Feliks and Monique gasped when they saw the ring, then someone asked:

"Are you pregnant?"

"Of course no!"

"It's a joke, dear. You have been together for like… six months? You two are really in love!" Feliks said laughing.

"But, we respect your decision, and like we told you, he seems very responsible and mature" Lien added.

"Seriously, we are happy for you" Monique said hugging her.

Lars' friends were happy too. Mathias gave some money to Matthew who smiled triumphant.

"Sorry, but I thought you'll be the last to get married" Mathias said

Lars just looked at them, and shook his head. To be honest, he wasn't mad, it was funny to be friends with those two, and also he thought he wouldn't be the first of them in getting married.

Anyways their parents organized a party to celebrate the future husband and wife. He asked her to arrive together. When he saw her at the other side of the street, he had a strange feeling and his heart beat fast. Then, he saw her talking with a guy. That man hugged her and she looked so happy to see him. Lars was disgusted, he approached and put his arm on her shoulders, she looked at him surprised.

"Lars, I was about to go to your office" she said.

"I finished work earlier"

"It's great. Well, Mark, this is my _boyfriend_ Lars. And Lars, this Mark" she said with a fake smile.

"Nice to meet you, but in fact, I am her fiancé" he told him.

"Nice to meet you too. And congratulations"

Then a young woman approached and said hi. She talked with them for a while. Mark took the woman's hand.

"I'm glad to see you again; we have to go. Our little Thomas is waiting for us. Bye".

When they left, Mei moved away from Lars. She didn't talk to him until they arrived to her parents' house. She ignored him, almost all evening. He took her by the arm, but before she could complain about his rude attitude. He just said:

"Who was he?"

"A friend"

"He seemed… nice"

"Yes, he is. Not like certain person" she said bitterly.

Then some people, especially their friends, asked them to kiss. They looked at each other; this will be their first kiss in public. He looked at her in the lips; he didn't think twice and kissed her as if he was afraid of losing her, he needed her. Mei didn't know what to think. When they separated, he couldn't look to her in the eyes.

"I am sorry" he murmured and left.

He felt so stupid, acting just because of his jealousy. He looked for cigarettes, but he remembered he was trying to stop smoking. He was embarrassed and angry with himself. He wanted to kiss her but not in that way. Not if she didn't want. After several minutes, she found him.

"I've been looking for you everywhere" she said concerned.

She took his hand, and both walked in silence. Then she stopped and said:

"Lars? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am"

But no, he was so confused, the only thing he wanted to do was to escape with her, being just the two of them, and find out why that woman made him feel that way. He couldn't, and he felt sad.

What he didn't know was that Mark and Mei were friends since college; they just went on a date once, and they realized they like each other just as friends. In fact, he had always been in love with Tiffany, and she loved him back, and now, they were happily married and had a child. Mei was really glad for them.

Mei wanted to tell him that, but she thought she didn't have to explain anything. Lars wasn't his boyfriend, and even if he was. She didn't know he was so possessive; she wasn't one of his properties. He had to understand it. And that kiss… it felt real.

After that, Lars decided to apologize, but he didn't know how. She wouldn't accept a present. So, he asked her friends for help with the excuse that he wanted to make her a surprise for their engagement. They thought that was very lovely. He had to listen from very spicy ideas (they told him they were just joking) to something cheesy he would never do.

Lien told him that Mei wanted to go to a baseball game because it was her favorite sport; the other told him that it'd be the least romantic present. And that was perfect. Then, he told Mei that a friend gave him the tickets because if he told her that he bought them, she would refuse.

He went to her house to pick her up, and when she opened the door, he didn't know what to say, she looked adorable; her hair was styled in two braids, and she was wearing a simple t-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes and the jacket of her favorite team. She used to wear floral dresses, very _girly_ clothes, all kind of shoes, and flowers on her hair. This new look was different, but to him, no one looked more beautiful than her.

Lars didn't understand baseball's rules, Mei explained him. She was very excited because her favorite team was winning. Then, he felt strange again, she was happy, and he couldn't stop looking at her. After that, they took a walk in the park; she commented every detail of the game. She told him that when she was in middle school, she was in a baseball team. Now, she just watched the games. He was happy because she was telling him about her life.

"By the way, I read the article you wrote, I liked it" he said shyly.

"Really?"

"Yes, it was very interesting"

"If you say so. I like fashion, you know, but sometimes I feel like no one takes my job seriously. They think I just write about clothes"

"I am not lying. It's really good. Just trust in yourself"

She looked at him, and then, none of them talked. They walked in silence. Until, they arrived to her home.

"Thank you. I had fun today" she said.

"Me too"

And for the first time, she smiled at him. He gave her an awkward kiss on the cheek and said goodbye.

Days later, Mei and Emma went shopping as they had planned. Both had always wanted to have a sister, they loved her brothers but having a sister seemed fun. They went to eat something, suddenly, Emma asked her:

"I don't want to be meddlesome, but everything is going well between you and my brother?"

"He is very quiet but we get along well" she said trying to sound convinced.

"I know this situation isn't easy, everything is going so fast, but please, you can trust me. I'm your friend, and I care because he is my brother"

"Thank you. I'll take care of him. Don't worry"

"I know you will. Lars could seem grumpy but actually he is very kind. He taught me and Henri to ride a bike"

Mei thought that was very sweet. It wasn't that she really hated him, but they were complete different and with all the things had happened and the marriage, she was confused. Then, she thought about the kisses and she blushed. She couldn't talk about that with her. She kept it as a secret.

She asked her to make the wedding cake. Emma accepted happily.

It looked like their parents had organized everything. Now, she just had to buy her wedding dress, she wanted something simple. She tried on different dresses while her mother, her future mother-in-law and her friends told her she looked beautiful.

She was afraid. She will get married in a couple of weeks, everything went so fast. She looked at her hand, that ring made her feel so much responsibility and think about him. She wanted to hate him, but she couldn't.

Meanwhile, he was waiting, counting the days. He would be her husband and they would live together.

* * *

 **Note #2:** _This chapter was difficult, I hope you liked._


	4. Yes, I guess

**Note:** Remember, English isn't my first language.

Yes, I guess

It was their wedding day. Mei was nervous; she looked at herself in the mirror, in some minutes she and Lars would be wife and husband. Lars was waiting for her, he looked at his watch, she was five minutes late. He calmed down when he saw her arrive.

It was a civil marriage, just family and close friends were there. Her dress was white and simple, as she wanted, and as always, she was wearing flowers on her hair. She noticed that he tried to change his hair style. After some words and sign papers, they placed a ring on each other's finger and kissed. Now they were husband and wife.

The reception was bigger. Everything was decorated with roses, peonies and tulips, and the chocolate cake was delicious. Their parents invited everyone, even people they didn't know. Mathias and Matthew gave a very touching speech, they asked her to take care of him and loving him, because he was a good man, and they wished them to be happy. Also, her friends asked him to take care of her.

She cried when she heard those kind words, he took her hand. This time, his touch was warm and she could feel as if he was telling her that everything would be fine because he was with her. Then they danced slowly, it was awkward because he never danced, but then she told him to just follow her.

He wrote his vows, even if he knew he wouldn't tell them but words couldn't describe how he was feeling. He adjusted a flower on her hair, she looked at him, and then he bent down and kissed her. She didn't care and kissed him back. It was so brief but they felt that the world stopped. They separated and looked at each other in the eyes, and then their relatives and friends interrupted them to congratulate them.

Lars felt dizzy, his heart was beating so fast, he couldn't hear what his parents and hers said, he just saw them moving their mouths without making any sound. He saw Mei; also she seemed overwhelmed with so much attention. He didn't want to admit that he was in love with her, because she didn't love him and never will.

They said goodbye to everyone to go to sleep. They arrived to the apartment. She had already chosen her bedroom, he asked her to do it days ago.

"Good night" she told him.

"Good night" he said.

She hugged a pillow, while she remembered how he kissed her, how she felt the time to stop, and she kissed him back, she didn't knew why, she just wanted to do it. But obviously, he didn't see her as his wife, for him, she was a woman with who he played house.

He thought about her, how beautiful she looked. And she was sleeping in the next room. She was his wife now. His wife. But he was sure she didn't thought about him as her husband. And that kiss… she kissed him back, but why? He didn't want to overthink. He decided to sleep and dream of her instead.

The next morning, he found her in the kitchen, she was making breakfast. He thought he was dreaming. It was so early. They looked at each other: both were wearing pajamas and their hair was messy. He thought that even that way she looked beautiful. And she thought that he looked handsome with his hair down.

"Good morning. Did I wake you up?" she said.

"Good morning. No, it's fine, I am not a morning person" he confessed.

"Drink some coffee" and she gave him a cup.

Later, they opened their presents. Lots of stuff for their home, and other things they didn't know how to use. They spent the rest of the day packing to their honey moon; it was another surprise from their parents as the rest of the things they got.

They would go to certain idyllic islands. Lars fell asleep as soon as the plane took off; ironically, he wanted to avoid talk with her for a while. Mei looked at him, she got mad, why he was sleeping. The hotel room had a great view. The bed was big but he told her that he would sleep on the floor, and she agreed, she was still bitter.

They decided to go out for a walk. She asked him to wait for her while she changed her clothes. Minutes later, she looked for him, then, she saw him talking with a woman. And that woman was hitting on him; she smiled a lot and touched him when she had a chance. And even though Lars didn't seem interested, Mei felt disgusted, she approached and said:

"I finally found you, dear" she said taking his hand and ignoring her.

The woman saw her faking a smile.

"She is Mei, my wife" he said relieved emphasizing the last word.

"Lars, darling, I didn't know you were married. Well, nice to meet you" the woman said pretending she was surprised.

Mei didn't respond. The woman told them she had to go because she needed to do something important. Mei seemed angry.

"She's just an acquaintance. She wanted to go somewhere, although I told her I'm married" he said.

"Why do you think I want to know it?"

"I don't know, I thought it was the right thing"

Mei released his hand. She thought that probably he realized she was jealous, and yes, she was, but she couldn't admit it because then he could feel so important and that'd be the worst. Her only relief was that he wasn't a ladies man.

They went to the beach, she wanted to play with the water, but then, she remembered that woman. She compared herself with her. Mei didn't have low self-esteem, in fact, she considered herself pretty, but she thought that her breasts were so small; she blushed and crossed her arms to cover her chest, besides she felt so short and skinny. She was tired that people tell her she seemed younger than she actually was, and sometimes, people didn't take her seriously. She was an adult woman not a child.

Her past boyfriends were nice people, they got along well, and however, she sometimes felt that they treated her as if she was very innocent. She never saw herself married with one of them. Besides, she never imagined with what kind of man she would get married.

She looked at Lars. Her husband. He was very tall, built, confident, serious, a successful lawyer. And his shy smile was so cute, the way he looked at her and how he took her hand, and his lips… She stopped.

"That woman was really beautiful, like a model" she commented.

"So?"

"Don't you like her? What kind of woman do you like?" she asked him pretending she didn't care.

"Why do you want to know that?"

"It's just a question, I mean, you surely had several girlfriends"

"I didn't have so many good experiences; ok? I am not an interesting man. You already know that"

"Just answer my question"

"Well, I like confident women, those who don't hesitate too much. What about you? Do you like men like Mark?"

Why he was messing with her friend? She thought that if Lars wasn't that disdainful, then she would think he was jealous and that's why he disliked Mark so much. She sighed.

"He and I went out on a date only once; it was the worst date ever because we liked each other as friends, he had always been in love with Tiffany and I am glad she loved him too. To be honest, I never saw him as more than a friend. Are you happy now?"

Lars felt relieved, he didn't have a rival.

"And about what kind of man I like, I like those who aren't possessive or jealous" she said.

"I don't like jealousy either. We have that in common" he teased.

"But, didn't you think that you would have married one of your girlfriends? Like that… chick, for example?" she said with all the resentment she had in her chest.

"No, and a lot less with her, she doesn't know what no means. I... went out with her a couple of times, then I found out she had a boyfriend… Can we stop talking about my love life? I don't know why you are so interested. Besides, I just marry you. This is our honey moon"

"I don't care about it, I was curious. Forget it and don't remind me that" she said annoyed.

They remained in silence watching the waves. He wanted to tell her that his ideal woman was her: a cheerful and confident woman, who was intelligent, sweet, beautiful and a talented writer. Mei was mad but deeply in her heart, she felt happy that he was jealous.

"We should go eat something. I am hungry" she said.

"Alright"

Lars glared at some men who looked at her, he put his arm on her shoulders, but this time, Mei let him do it. Later, they went to their room, they were tired. She got in bed and he was lying on the floor. Her conscience didn't let her sleep. Then she called him:

"Are you awake? I am sorry"

"Uhmmm?" he turned around.

"I apologize for make you feel uncomfortable. I was being childish; besides, you didn't have to explain me anything"

"Then, you aren't jealous…"

"Of course I am not! It's not as if we were really married!" she replied.

"Alright, I forgive you. Good night"

"Wait, why don't you sleep here? The bed is big enough for the two of us…"

He sighed and got in bed next to her. They put a couple of pillows between them. He was happy and fell asleep. She felt strange, it was the first time she shared a bed with someone. The next morning, she woke up first, she saw him and smiled. She thought he looked so cute sleeping, she wanted to caress his hair, but she didn't want to wake him up. When he did it, he felt disappointed for not being able to see her sleeping next to him.

The rest of the honey moon passed with no much novelty. They went out on walks and tried to relax. They were there for a couple of days, but he'd have more time to be with her. He was ready to win her heart. He only needed to know how to confess, and the only idea scared him.

At home, they spend the afternoon organizing their belongings. She noticed that he had several books. Almost all of them were novels, poetry and some others about gardening. It was interesting.

Saturday, they went to buy some groceries.

"Mei, Lars, what a surprise! I thought you'd be still enjoying your honey moon!" Feliks said winking at her.

She laughed nervously and her face was red. Lars blushed too, but he didn't say anything.

"We are going to buy groceries" Mei said.

"Well, have fun"

They said good bye. Lars took her hand.

It wasn't that bad living together, she thought looking at him while she read the shopping list, and he put the things in the cart. At least, they didn't argue too much. They didn't mind to see the other as they were in the morning; they took turns to use the bathroom. She had ready his cup of coffee every day, he always went with her to buy groceries and both did chores together.

He liked her cooking, and she liked he was so tidy. They spent some afternoons talking about their childhood, their friends and every issue. Even though, he didn't tell her so many details about his life, he preferred to listen to her.

She decided to give him a present, she spent so much time trying to find something simple but at the same time, something special he could like. One day, after work, she said:

"I have something for you"

"Really? What is it?"

"It's a little present. I hope you like it"

He opened it, trying to hide his emotion. She felt like a teenager who has confessed and want an answer. Lars was happy when he saw the book.

"Thank you. This is my favorite author" he said and kissed her on the cheek.

She blushed and smiled.

"I am glad you liked it. And please, don't feel as if you owe me something, you already gave me some many things before"

He remembered that moment, when she told him to stop sending her presents. But he'd do it again, he'd give her everything she wanted, but Mei wasn't that kind of person. He wanted to kiss her again, and hug her. He didn't know it, but she wanted the same. They smiled shyly at each other.

"Then… Could I read you a poem?" he asked her looking at his shoes. The same he did when he asked her to live there.

She thought that was an adorable gesture and accepted happily. He started reading; his voice was deep and calm. She felt involved in his words, and the way he expressed the emotions the author put on the poem. She wished all those feelings were for her. When he finished, she asked him to read other, and he gave a hint of a smile and did it. Mei thought that behind that stoic face there was a really kind and sweet man.

She didn't know how or when happened, but now she wanted to be near him. He stopped being an iceberg to become the sweetest man she knew. But she couldn't stop get defensive or awkward when he was around. Besides, she felt as if he wanted to tell her something, his gaze seemed to hide a secret. What was it? Why he didn't trust her? Was there something wrong between them? She wasn't sure if she wanted to know it.

* * *

 **Note #2** : aaaah maybe this chapter doesn't have so much sense. I am sorry. My life got busy lately, so I didn't have time to write more. As always, if you see a mistake let me know it. I hoped you liked.


	5. This time, Yes, I do

This time, Yes, I do

It was raining when Mei arrived, and Lars wasn't at home. She was concerned because it was late. Then, he arrived completely soaked. She gave him a towel and asked him to change his clothes immediately. He did it. He seemed very thoughtful and anxious.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Nothing"

"Why are you so late?"

"I had so much work to do"

He had walked for a while in the rain, thinking about what to say, how to confess, ask her if she could give him a chance. Yes, they were married but that wasn't enough if that meant that it was their obligation and not because they loved each other. She was looking at him.

"Mei…" he tucked her hair behind her ear, and then he caressed her face, as if it was something he used to do. She didn't move waiting for the next move.

"Lars?"

He approached. Mei was about to put her hand on his, then abruptly, he moved away.

"I am sorry"

Lars locked up in the bathroom. He felt so pathetic, but he wanted to avoid the rejection. He felt dizzy and his head hurt. He came back with her. She seemed very worried.

"Please, tell me, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, don't worry"

"Why are you like this? You should trust me; after all we have to live together. Do you think I was comfortable getting married with someone I didn't choose?"

He felt sad, each one of her words felt like a hit. He was hot and his face was red. He shook his head, he can't bear it anymore.

"I thought this would be easy. You don't trust me either; you hate every single thing I do. I even stop smoking because of you. You are not the only one. Do you have any idea of how I feel? I accepted everything without complain so my family and yours could be fine. I took all the responsibility to protect my siblings: Emma is happy with Antonio; Henri deserved to find someone who loves him…"

Mei had no idea that he was as afraid as she was.

"And you know what? I am a complete idiot because despite you hate me… I think… I fell in love with you…"

She blushed and tried to approach but he moved away, he almost fell down, she held him as much as she could do it, then she realized he had fever, and she helped him to go to his bedroom. She called her brother Jiang who was a doctor.

"Is he going to be fine?"

"Yes, the fever reduced. He need to rest. What happened?"

"He walked in the rain I don't know why. And then he started feeling bad… we were arguing…" she said trying to not cry.

Jiang didn't say anything; she was very concerned to have to hear his sermons.

"He is going to be fine. Just take care of him. If something happens, please call me"

Jiang said goodbye. Then, she entered the bedroom; she sat on the bed. Suddenly, he took her hand:

"Mei, don't leave me, please. I need you"

"I am here, but you have to sleep" she said caressing his face.

Mei thought about all that was happening. For first time, he seemed so vulnerable, and he needed her, that broke her heart. She felt so guilty and selfish, because she never wondered how he was feeling. She wanted to hug him, pamper him, tell him that everything would be fine, because she'd take care of him and try to make him happy.

"Come here"

"No, sleep"

"Please"

She lay next to him. He looked at her as if with that he could get better. He took her hand and fell asleep. She got closer, caressed his face, and kissed him softly. He was the first with who she shared a bed. Well, they were married, even though they had been sleeping in different bedroom; he respected her, he never touched her, and he gave her her own space.

What if she let him free? She felt upset with the idea of him with other person. No. He was her husband. He was her sweet and kind husband, the one who listened to her, and liked to read poems, who was grumpy in the mornings and was awkward to dance. And the one who needed her now.

Little by little, she got to know him better. She judged him without knowing him, or giving him a chance. He didn't have bad intentions when he gave her presents. She didn't say anything but she was sure, he bought those tickets; he did it, even if he loved football and didn't understand baseball, he did it for her. And he stopped smoking.

And the only things she did was reject him, thinking that he was her enemy, complaining, when he was as afraid as she was. He accepted everything to protect his siblings and both families, but she just thought about herself.

The way he looked at her, his shy caresses, and kisses, how he cared for her, and what he said: he was in love her. She felt so happy when he said it, but he thought she hated him. No, she didn't hate him, why she would do it. It wasn't his fault that they were tied. She had to be honest with herself, she… liked him? No, she didn't like him, it was more than that. She loved him.

She fell asleep next to him, waiting for the moment to finally tell him how wrong she was.

The next morning, when he woke up, he was still dizzy. He caught a cold. She entered his bedroom. She touched his face.

"Do you want to eat something?"

"No, I am not hungry"

"Then, sleep. I'll bring you something anyways"

Mei got out of the room. He lay down again. Minutes later, she came back.

"Listen, I know this is not a good moment, but I am so sorry for what happened last night… I think we should talk about… something you said" she said blushing.

He didn't remember it clearly. The only thing he remembered was arriving home, he was about to confess, they argued… he said he was protecting his siblings… and… he blushed. Then, when he told her he was in love with her, it wasn't a dream. He covered up and said he needed to sleep. He couldn't confess in that condition, besides, he wanted to kiss her. He had to wait.

She took care of him for a couple of days. They wanted to talk but with his sore throat and all those sneezes, it was impossible. She was patient, she pampered him a lot, for him was something new, but he couldn't complain. And they weren't completely alone, their family and friends visited him.

Finally, he got better. She was at work, and he was at home, waiting for her, she had told him that she wanted to talk with him. Also him, he didn't know how to start, but he was ready to talk.

Mei found him looking through the window. She approached and hugged him. Lars didn't know what to say. Until she said:

"Lars, please, forgive me for all the horrible things I did, and for make you think I hated you. I never hated you, I was scared and I didn't realize you were scared too. Now, I know you better, and I know you are a good man"

He looked at her.

"I want to be with you. I was so blind, I just wanted to protect myself, but you weren't the enemy. I didn't realize how you were feeling. I told you so many hurtful things, and I am really sorry. I don't know how you fell in love with me. I was such an idiot and… you deserve someone better than me…"

"Mei, don't say that. You… are my ideal woman…" he said blushing.

She smiled and made him bend to kiss him slowly. He kissed her back and then they embraced tightly.

"Believe me, you are perfect as you are. That's why I fell in love with you. Now tell me, just to be sure, do you love me?"

"I love you so much, Lars. You are my ideal man"

"Mei… I love you so much too" he said putting a kiss on her head.

They cuddle in the sofa. They didn't want to separate and waking up of what they thought it was a dream. He took her hand and kissed it.

"What are we going to do now?"

"Well, this may be all of a sudden, but would you like to be married with me? And maybe getting married again, this time in our own way"

"Yes, I do! But are you sure? I don't want to ruin it"

"You won't do it. Now, I just want to spend time with you"

They smiled and kissed again.

Mei and Lars were happy, now they had more time to kiss, embrace and enjoying each other's company. They didn't talk about this with their family, but now that they seemed clearly in love, everyone suspected.

Their acquaintances thought that or they were such a good actors or the marriage of convenience was just a rumor. Mei and Lars didn't care about what they thought, they were together and love each other and that was the only thing they cared.

Months later, they got married again. It wasn't the fairy tale wedding they imagined, it was even better because their love was real. They said it in their vows, but they were sure they'd spend the rest of their life with a person who loves them forever. They weren't tied anymore, now they were united with nothing stronger than the love they felt for each other.

* * *

 **Note:** _Thank you very much to the people who followed this story. I couldn't do it without you ;w; I am so happy because this is my 1st long fic. And my happy place. I hope this haven't finished in a very lame way. But still, I had a busy week and It's 3 am. Well, now tell me what do you think of this story, and thank you for your support._


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